Malvinas Families wish to have a chapel at Darwin cemetery and requested the Pope's mediation

The Malvinas war next of kin are trying to have a chapel or a sanctuary built at the Darwin cemetery, in the Falkland Islands where the remains of 237 Argentine combatants are buried. The idea is to convert this space in dispute in a peregrination place, according to a report from the Argentine official news agency Telam.

The Memorial at Darwin is visited by many Malvinas war veterans

The intention of the Malvinas Families commission comes alight just a few days ahead of another anniversary of the start of the war, when Argentine military invaded the Falklands (2 April 1982), and was transmitted this week to Pope Francis on the sides of the meeting he held with Malvinas veterans and relatives during an open audience in Saint Peter's square.

According to Telam, the relatives asked the Pope's mediation for the construction of the temple because the Apostolic Prefecture of the Falklands is an isolated territorial jurisdiction, since it does not depend from the UK or from Argentina, but rather directly from the Holy See.

The Prefecture was started on 10 January 1952, when the Punta Arenas dioceses in the extreme south of Chile was split, and covers the Falklands.

According to what the Families commission reported to Telam, the chapel, which would be dedicated to Mary of the Peace, has the purpose of converting that place of dispute into a place of peregrination for all the Catholic universal leadership.

Telam says the relatives reported that the Argentine Pope, Jorge Bergoglio was receptive to the request and entrusted those responsible in the Vatican to start the pertinent contacts

The acceptance of the initiative brought great spiritual relief to the relatives that in this way are ensured the non profanation of such sacred space, given the insistent internal and external threats that have been taking place to try and erase all vestige of the Argentine presence in the Islands still usurped by the British, reads a communiqué.

This is because 'frequently the cemetery and in particular the monument to the fallen inaugurated in 2009, suffers attacks such as when the strengthened glass window that protects the image of the Virgin of Lujan which presides next to a great white cross over the memorial, was vandalized.

The Malvinas families commission headed by Delmira de Cao is whom the law entrusted the maintenance and protection of the cemetery, declared a historic place by Argentina and protected under International Humanitarian Law.

Finally the Telam report distributed to Argentine media, states that the cemetery everyday tasks rest on Sebastian Soccodo, one of the few Argentines living in the Falklands who is in charge of looking after the tomb crosses and the huge marble plates where the names of the 649 Argentines killed during the 1982 war are engraved.

Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Comments should refer to article. Thank you.

As a Catholic I think enough is enough! Argentina did enough damage in the islands in 1982 and their mines are still there endangering human and wild life daily.
If Argentina were to cease its constant posturing and apologise for events of 1982 then a chapel, under the supervision of the resident Ordinary, could be considered. But, under NO circumstances should the chapel be considered Argentina territory nor should the Church encourage nor allow it to become a shrine.

Its status should be similar to the Orthodox Cathedral in London - a place of worship and thanksgiving.

As a Catholic I would also be very disappointed if the Pope allows himself to be used in the Argentine effort. However, until he himself makes a statement or there is direct action from the Vatican, we shouldn't assume he is, just as I don't assume Hollande, Obama or the UN will actively be on Argentina's side, despite what the propaganda machine says.

Do the sensible thing. Just say No! See this as a step-by-step tactical plan. First, the argies left their dead behind. No respect for their forces personnel. They didn't even want to take those still living back! Under Kirchner, the cemetary became an argie presence on the Islands it illegally and illegitimately claims. What do they want to do next? They want to send in a team of scientists to extract and identify DNA from the rotted corpses. With 5 minutes training, ANYONE can take DNA samples. Just another excuse for a presence. And where will the samples have to be taken to match them to records? Argieland. Back and forth. Back and forth. And how outraged they got, when a little statue was damaged. Surprised they didn't as to send a team of police to investigate. And now this. Perhaps the next thing will be to build a cathedral. Including the shrine of the HOLY invasion. I am not, I'm glad to say, the only one to have said this. Dig the lot up and ship it all back to argieland. They can do anything they like there. Re-box the stuff. Build a memorial, shrine, chapel, church or whatever. Take as many DNA samples as they want. Quit spending their money trying to infiltrate and spy on the Islands. This is argies, once again, trying to use their war dead for political purposes. It might be different if argieland had admitted that it was wrong and abandoned its claims and attacks on the Falklands. It hasn't. There is such a thing as being too generous. Always remember that argies have one objective. To steal your land. Say No! Dig it all up and ship it all back to argieland. Remove any argie need to enter the Islands. Give them nothing. And make sure that the Pope knows what larcenous, mendacious people argies are.

It all sounded very reasobale until  the insistent internal and external threats that have been taking place to try and erase all vestige of the Argentine presence in the Islands still usurped by the British

At first the idea didn't seem too offensive to me. That is until I read the gloat over the Pope accepting the request: given the insistent internal and external threats that have been taking place to try and erase all vestige of the Argentine presence in the Islands still usurped by the British

What Argentinean presence? Do they mean the mine removal?

If the families are really looking for peace then firstly they wouldn't descend to cheap political stunts like the above comment and maybe request the repatriation of their loved ones back to Argentina.

Is be interested in knowing about this International Humanitarian Law that protects the cemetery.

The Falkland Islanders should insist the bodies to be repatriated to Argentina.

Then Argentina can actually foot the bill for caring for their war dead. So far the Argentine government hasn't given one cent to the upkeep of the cemetery, it has all been paid for by the Falkland Islands Government, with some assistance from the families of the soldiers buried there.

As for the Holy See - it has NO SWAY in the Falklands- and ALL territory belongs to the Falkland Islanders. The Catholic Church cannot dictate what can or cannot be done in a FREE country.

So repatriate the bodies, then Argentina can build as many pagan shrines to them as they want.

And if Argentina refuses to accept the bodies, they can either be buried at sea with full military honours, or placed on a barge and set on course for Argentina, where they will have to deal with them anyway.

It's harsh I know, but I for one am getting fed up of this Argentine government dishonouring their war dead in this way.

This is because 'frequently the cemetery and in particular the monument to the fallen inaugurated in 2009, suffers attacks such as when the strengthened glass window that protects the image of the Virgin of Lujan which presides next to a great white cross over the memorial, was vandalized.

This is just a blatant lie and I defy anybody to prove otherwise. The damage found in 2009 was never proven to be an act of vandalism, in fact if anything vandalism was virtually ruled out. There has been no other damage that I can recall prior or since. I don't know a single individual here who doesn't respect that site. I've never heard anyone even joke about trashing it or causing it any harm.

The damage in 2009 was subjected to a police investigation and yet, as I recall, a blatant act of vandalism and aggression on the office of a British-owned company in Argentina at a similar time was not investigated at all. This was despite the entire act being caught on CCTV and tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage being done.

If they want to build a chapel in the cemetery, let them move the cemetery and the bodies to Argentina where they belong and where the families can grieve for them properly. That is if Argentina has finished making a political point with the bodies of the men it sent unequipped to fight a war they couldn't win.

Why is the pope needed to mediate, have they actually put a request to the Falkland Islands Government yet, and its been turned down? No, thought not. The Pope has other things to do than get involved in political stunts like this, just ask them to talk to the Falklanders. If you want to give peace a chance ask them first to pay for all the mine clearances over the years.... people for before property I thought was the new message from the Catholic church.

“The acceptance of the initiative brought great spiritual relief to the relatives that in this way are ensured the non profanation of such sacred space, given the insistent internal and external threats that have been taking place to try and erase all vestige of the Argentine presence in the Islands still usurped by the British”, reads a communiqué.

As previously stated, they were doing pretty good until they included 'given the insistent internal and external threats that have been taking place to try and erase all vestige of the Argentine presence in the Islands still usurped by the British'...all the threats have come from their own homeland.

Again they are trying to use the pope as a mediator, well sorry, we don't want a referee from the home country of the opposition team. Especially when there is a hint that they want to include a chapel or sanctuary that will be come under the diocese of Punta Arenas. This will only give them a spiritual 'link' to the islands that they will unashamedly exploit....

Full respect to the war dead but people have got it right on this forum....NO is the answer to this request. The dead are being exploited by those who have not apologised for their violent acts of 1982. Shame on these people....

Put the chapel in the middle of the mind field and any Rg that comes to the islands must go to the chapel first.

Rgs are lunatics.
The throw the Pope name into every single thing they can't negotiate themselves. They want him to get involved in the IMF Paris Club negotiations too. At some point he's going to have to tell them to leave him alone.

I'm not silent...
Just waiting for the “Malvinas Oil Bubble” to implode and the party to start...

How was it one Rockflopper shareholder described it the other day at III?
Ohhh yeahhh....Something like...:

“I’m into Rockflopper with some £180 K… I feel like a weak battered penguin swimming in stormy Malvinas waters... I’m barely holding out...
Ooooops…!!! What was that…??? Looked like a Leopard seal..:-((( “

22. You do realize that the Falklanders have had more success with actually finding oil offshore than Arg has with Vaca Muerte onshore.
Right?
The Falklands has planned and committed exploration from 2015-2018.
Note the words PLANNED and COMMITTED
Argentina can't say the same now can they?

Looks like Chevron is going to bail too
Just like Apache and PetroBras have and are...

Rumor is VM is unprofitable to drill
Gonna be hard to change Potential to Proven at this rate

Plus if you don't see a massive influx of COMMITTED EXPLORATION this year you'll be dead before it ever happens.

30 years on, 231 fallen....Surely they diserve respect and rememberance, its a tragedy that the war ever occured but to be fair and In actual context of human conflicts its actually very little and years have gone by. Its not like we are talking of Vietnam war here. Im not aware of tens of thousands of Americans peregrinating to the jungles of south east Asia every year. Time to move on and leave things as they are.

This kind of ongoing stuff and obsession of having something to do with the islands just generates further suspicion and distrust.

YB what is your taking of all the succesor candidates travelling to Washington ??
In the last decade the Kirchners always travelled to Brasilia or Caracas, now Macri, Massa and Scioli are travelling to New York and Washington to meet up with the top brass business and politicians in the US. What does the US see in Argentina after the Ks have gone??

27. They want Wall Street to see they aren't crazy. That Argentina will be open for business once the dingbat is put to pasture or in jail.
The country has a lot of untapped potential but nobody is going to invest with the nutty Ks or their Marxist minions in charge.

It looks like the BCRA head is not happy with AxelK and maybe side lining him to try to right the sinking ship.
There are so many potentially devastating events coming up in the next 4-6 months andI can't wait to see the outcome.

”I’m not aware of tens of thousands of Americans peregrinating to the jungles of south east Asia every year”

I say...; there are soooo many things Turnips are “not aware of”…:
”While no one knows the precise number of returning vets, most experts put the figure in the tens of thousands……
….The Vietnamese government says that in recent years more than 400,000 Americans – many of them former military – have visited the country annually….”www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2013/1110/Why-US-veterans-are-returning-to-Vietnam

Turnip at (26)
If you like to shout so much..., why don't you shout some info about THE KILLING OF ROYAL MARINE ALAN ADDIS BY FOUR DRUNKEN KELPER THUGS?

Fabraga (BCRA) acording to Clarin yesturday is fed up with Kicillof who seems to have fallen from grace with Cristina.

Soy in Chicago has just gone down... The optimistic estimates the Ks had ware not considering the success of the Brazilian and Argentine harvest so prices will be going down, plus the fact the farmers will not liquidate the harvest and they will stock up and wait till devaluation hits by...

The ONLY damage/desecration to have occurred was that to the glass of the case containing the Saint. That was never solved and could just as easy have been done under orders from Buenos Aires by an Argentine to further raise tension at the time. It may have been done by a stupid Islander I agree - but the chances are 50/50 either side.

MANY personal momentos are left IN the cemetery by visiting relatives etc. All those that are personal and do not contain political slogans are left there. I know because I visit it often in the summer escorting groups of visiting Arg tourists.
There is a large sign outside- erected by non other than the Arg Families Commssion which makes it clear that people are NOT to place political worded momentos- and if they do then they will be removed- indeed they are when it happens.- and sent back to Buenos Aires.The Cemetery-like all military cemeteries all over the world -is a special and sacred place and a million miles above politics.

Maintenance- there has been very LITTLE this last summer- weeds 15cm and more tall are growing up through all the graves. So perhaps the Families Commission have forgotten to pay the contractor?

I have no doubt that the Falklands Catholic Church would arrange for a short service there for a visiting group if they were asked in advance. I know it has been done.

I am sure that I speak with the great majority of us Islanders in saying- those lads have lain is peace for 32 years - let them continue to lie there UNDISTURBED in PEACE with their God.
Or if Arg keeps rabbiting on about it- OK - disinter them all and return them all to Argentina. Your Choice.

There will be another devaluation. Everyone knew Soy would go down once harvest was completed.
I've been saying for a long time any increase in grain exports will be nullified by the steep downturn in auto exports.
The Farmers know there is another devaluation coming, they will only sell the absolute minimum on an as-needed basis.
This massive influx of U$ is probably not going to happen.
It may be a very cold winter in BA.

Only few poeple here acknowledge there will be no electricity in summer and no gas in winter for years to come.

My guess is that subsidises to these sectors will be cut during the World Cup, that has already being fixed to have Argentina vs Brazil in the final. And more a hardening on import restrictions and the dollar clamp.
The phones are working terribly bad and they have gone up too.
Transport in BA must be cut aswell.

By that time the big Unions (which are real sleeping giants) are going to wake up and paralize the country

Isn't there a national transport strike in April? I wonder what will happen with the teachers union by then?

Getting rid of the subsidies will be painful for people but good overall. My guess is they'll get rid of the rich and middle class subsidies and try to keep them for the voting poor.

Also clamping down on imports is only making inflation worse and decreasing production. It is a horrible way to keep the reserves up but I don't see any other way.
I really think the car mfg will bail soon.
There is no reason for them to have to put up with this nonsense.
This alone will be devastating.

Those in April are programmed for a day or so they are just early warning intended... You need at least a week of prolonged strike to weaken the gov't to its knees. I was just born then, but real strikes like the ones Ubaldini made to the Alfonsin gov't in the late 1980s are still remembered, and they were no kid stuff. Alfonsin barely survived 13 of them. They were aimed at getting the gov't out. If you think the farmers strike in 2008 were bad wait till you see the CTA and the CGT unified with Moyano, Barrionuevo and Los Gordos (the fat ones). Moyano alone with the trucks can paralize the economy.

Think, The detail are of little interest to me about who is in the glass cabinet , only that it is a religious figure.
As regards the vandalism last year - as explained - there is No evidence that it was done by an Islander any more than an Argentine. Could have been either, and you know that.

The fact that The details are of little interest to you do not speak well about your adequacy as a tourist guide...

Anyhow.... The vandalic act of last year was committed in July, in the midst of winter...

No Cruise Ships, no Argie Tourist, no nothing...

The possibility of the deed being committed by a Kelper or some English military personnel from nearby Mount Pleasant instead of a undisclosed Argentinean Agent Provocateur are 100 to 1 ...... and you know that.

As I understand it the alleged vandalism of the image of the Virgin of Lucán was investigated thoroughly by the Falklands Police and whilst no definite explanation was available it was mentioned that the inclement weather conditions of the islands could have been the cause of the glass protection of the image having been smashed, No big deal - just replace it.
If the condition of the cemetery is so deplorable perhaps the Argentine population of the islands could undertake its revision.

Think Argentine vets have being returning to the islands since the early 1990s. There is a double amount of pensioners who claim benefit as vetarans than the actual ammount of infantry men in the islands in 1982.

US Vietnam vets have just being going back only in the recent years. And they are actually few in comparisson to 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975.

What do you want appart from what there already is there... A chappel, a cathedral, DNA sampples, a special hotel for argentines, what?? You are going to make a diplomatic incident about a bloody piece of glass??

Stop embarrasing Argentina and using the dead for political means. How about having some dignity for once ??

FFS there is hundreds of preventable death motives that take far more lives per year in Argentina than those 231 deaths, and far less attention and effort is given to them

sorry to ask, but I remember that issue of finding a bible with a letter in front or sth of the sort in the episode of vandalism of Luján Virgin.
Has the police investigations find what strange connection has that with the episode??? If not, Have they give it back to the owner??? Or are you translating the bible to see if there is some kind of misterious message escondido in it??? ja

@36 yes the strikes during Alfonsin's government were the Peronist's real show of power. They are the reason the Peronists are ruling and will rule the country for decades to come. Moyano doesn't like CFK but he didn't coup against her like he did with Alfonsin. And the Radicals are still waiting time on political charades as if the Peronists won't just use the arm of the unions to coup...

The damage in 2009 was subjected to a police investigation and yet, as I recall, a blatant act of vandalism and aggression on the office of a British-owned company in Argentina at a similar time was not investigated at all

There are so many crimes that the argentine police do not investigate you are left wondering what they do all day. I suppose that they just don't have the time after a day on the picket line or taking back handers from Judges and crime bosses.

But anyway, back on topic:-

The Islanders should say no to this half baked, politically motivated idea. I notice that we haven't heard a peep from argentina about exhuming some of their war dead. I think that this idea is in the same vein and just as distasteful.

I had/have hopes of the Radical accepting Macri's leadership, but they are still living in a nube de pedos though far worse are the socialists and the Pino Solanas type who believe in the Road to swedenization of Argentina when drastic and unpopular adjustments and policies as well as a general cahnge of minds and attitude is needed....Sanz and Cobos are not bad, but they are not enough to gain the presidency.

Moyano seems to be flirting with Binner and Macri at times. But his political DNA is orthodox peronism as all the Gordos of the CGT.
On the other hand I do see some positive things about Massa after he single handedly stoped Zaffaroni's outraguos new Penal code. I dont have anything of substance against him other than his peronist and kirchnerist backround of origin. He is travelling to Washington today. Often reformist do keep a low profile of what they really want to do, so his silence and standing on the fence on polemical issues is in fact positive.

Argentine teens vandelize San Martins and Belgranos statues with paintings everyday too. In the context of things.... Hmmm

Now I know that things would be so much more boring and dull in the islands if Cristina didn't resort to this useless whataboutry and make all the none news over minuties as well as embarassing Argentina every day with this issue. Islanders I've read and spoken to here in these site really believe they are the center of the world to average Argentine folk. They are not....But I understand that by reading a throughback malvinista like think they believe otherwise

There is a saying be careful with what you wish... In my experiance Its incredible what happens to people and how things change when you stop paying any attention to her...

Did you hear that Think, you are a throwback Malvinista! And, we have all seen the grafiti and desecration of public monuments in BA Rosario and Mendoza. Arg ought to follow a civilized country like Chile, outlawing grafiti.
As for the so called chapel, I know Roger who was in charge of interring the Argie corpses it was a nightmare because of the stance of the Argentinian government.

@29 Why don't you SHOUT about the premeditated murder of 85 Jews and the injury of more than 300 others by LA CAMPORA , QUEBRACHO and the ARGIE ARMED FORCES? Yes, we all know it was you. Wouldn't be surprised to find you are in it up to your neck, Twinky! Think about it, everybody. Wouldn't a Middle Eastern foreigner be noticed? But not one or more argies. Check the history. Argies are anti-Jewish. Forget tinboy. He's just a stalking horse. A dummy too thick to understand how he has been set up as one of the biggest wankers in the world. Argieland has no compunction in killing. It has prove it many times. I shout. ARGIES ARE NAZIS!!
@38 Why are there argies living on the Islands? Make them swim home NOW! Send a helicopter to fly over them. And wave goodbye to the trash.
@42 Excuse? Any Falkland Islander or member of the British forces would be quite entitled to stamp anything argie into dust and throw it into the sea. An invader? An occupier? A war criminal? If I ever manage to visit the Falklands, as I hope, I will drink a lot. To make it possible to piss over every argie pit!
@51 Make no mistake, Islanders, piss on argies every chance you get. And watch them crumble, dissolve and die!

Undobtly an implanted son of an Italian usurper who decided to squat in South America......,serving Argentina and the World in the best way he can...

Not like the squatting Kelpers...., serving the Falkland Islands Company (FIC), a little South Atlantic sister of the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), the oldest drug cartel in the World....

Think - As a matter of fact I recall the damage was found a couple of days AFTER a group of Argentines had left the Islands- could have been one of them on their last day - could have been one of the Argentine citizens living here all year round - either one requested to do it by your Govt to stir things up and get some PR. Or maybe a stupid drunk Islander- but who would drive nigh on 2 hrs in the dark after drinking in a pub in mid winter and then drive back?
Or maybe a stupid civilian contractor working at MPA.
Who knows?
The one type who I am damn sure never did it, although you suggest they may, was a British serviceman/woman from MPA. It is just NOT the thing they would do at all.
AS for the lady in the cabinet- look a bit stupid as their guide if I tried to tell
a group of Argentine tourists about a thing they know and understand the meaning of 100 times better than I do!
I concentrate on telling them things they don't know and ask about - like why are there so many unnamed graves? - they are pretty shocked when they learn the truth about their military! - and they way Islanders were treated at nearby GooseGreen.
By the way, every coach load has thanked me afterwards - for telling them the Islands and Islanders history in a balanced impartial way. Including one who was a veteran of GooseGreen.

1) Any Argentinean tourist wanting to ”cause the damage” at Darwin War Cemetery would have needed transportation…
Can’t your constables read a rented car odometer...?
Was any car stolen in July 2013…?
Any bike…?
Horse..?
Besides…..... How long would take your constables to check the alibis of the ~15 Argentineans living in Malvinas?

61 Think
You make me laugh when you decide to try to cling onto a thing straw that's weak in the middle against all odds of ever coming out on top. On the other hand when you get put into a corner you just run and hide.

Like I said early on: prove it was vandalism. This time try to answer the question instead of digging up (pardon the pun) Marine Addis and making up something I didn't say. I seem to recall mentioning that he was alleged to have had a fling with one of the suspect's wives but I certainly didn't say he had it coming. Those were your sick words. Mind you, if I had a fling with someone's wife I would prepare myself for quite a confrontation and perhaps some form of violence if caught.

@61 Banana brain, it doesn't matter who busted the glass and froze the Madonas jugs. Just look at that nice clock we gave you in the centre of BA. Its always getting trashed, a national disgrace! A symbol of esteem, peace and cooperation between our nations treated in such a disgraceful manner. You even tried renaming it, but, that didn't work did it? As someone pointed out your exercise freak disrespected our monument filming himself doing it! in which case what do you expect? How is that any worse than breaking a piece of glass?
As usual with you Argies you play the victim when you are ten times as bad. Tens of thousands of ordinary people disappeared in your country, you massacred tens of thousands of the indigenous people in Chubut and the surroudings you are now squatting in. You renege on your debts, you lie about history to try and steal other peaceful folks lands, you can't govern yourselves. Admit it YOU are the Turnips. Hang your head in shame you sad old git.

Our dear enemy Think-me-not is a woman hater by admission anyway Joe. He took great pleasure in calling his own wife a Biatch so making up things , deliberately mis-quoting someone..... I'm guessing he would do that too.

Anyway, on to more pleasing news, I found this comment under a Youtube video, I'll post the link to it as well but, it seems to me that the secret is out...............

Wenda Padbury

UK claim to the Falklands was legally established in 1832. Argentina was not even established until 1860 by its constitution copied from the USA's! The British developed and built most of Argentina's roads & railways. Cristina Fernandez deKirchner is just vile unscrupulous trash or specifically a wanabee Eva Peron (another filthy pox raddled old Argentinian whore) attempting to divert attention from her (and her disgusting corrupt husbands) exploitation of the now bankrupt once proud, Argentina!

63 and 64 No Lolly and Too Old
Nice posts both of them and thanks for that link Too Old. You watch the Puppet Master (aka Banana Brain, a_Voice, so_far, DoD, TTT, etc) come back trying to make more of this than he already has failed to do.

I take lots of visitors to visit the Darwin and San Carlos cemeteries all year round and they are all full of respect in equal doses at both sites. I'll say it again: I have never heard someone in the islands, local, military, contractor, Argie or otherwise ever try to justify damage of any form to Darwin cemetery. Think knows that. Notice how Think isn't interested in responding about the trashing of the clock in BA or the British company's offices. Not only won't he respond to those comments but he rather cowardly tries to deflect it all by yet again raising Marine Addis which frankly has nothing to do with him whatsoever. If Marine Addis was murdered- nobody knows- that means that we've gone 35 years and counting since our last murder. Which makes us nothing but a bunch of savages really.

Lots of Argies in town today on the LAN flight. Some going in the marathon tomorrow and one chap I spoke too was really nice. He said he does not support his country's stance on the islands at all and that CFK has to go before it's too late.

I don't see why a chapel is necessary. Stanley already has a Roman Catholic Church. Certainly that is a convenient and ideal place of worship for visiting bereaved Argentines - no extra funding needed, already competently administered by the Catholic community of theFalklands.

Perhaps the Argentinian family members could dedicate a stained glass window, in honour of the war-dead?

Think - those young men you refer to were roaring drunk- no excuse I agree -but sadly young men can do things like that - wether they are soldiers or not is totally irrelevant actually! And the always has been a strict no spirits at MPA other than on special occasions in the Officers mess .
If course the visiting Argentines hire vehicles(that's how one was killed last week)- not much point though checking the mileage of vehicles a few days later when you know they would have done quite a bit of travelling in that week!
And in our Democracy the Police need some reason to just go around quizzing people as to there whereabouts at certain times - appreciate it may be different over there.

Well maybe I will tell the tourists something about a thing they know far more than me next summer if I am stuck for conversation
As to the Veteran learning about what his leaders did to people in Goose Green - Yes - They go into the social hall (where 128 men women and children were locked in for 4 weeks) there for a toilet stop and a drink - they all see the
marks in the floor where holes were cut to crawl under for some safety during bombardments - the same floorboards elderly people had to lay on in just their clothes to sleep at night as best they could.
The tourists tell me they understand why some folks here are antagonistic towards Argentines when they learn what happened there.

Lots of Argies in town today ..... Some going in the marathon tomorrow and one chap I spoke too was really nice. He said he does not support his country's stance on the islands at all and that CFK has to go before it's too late.

I say...:
Was it the tall, handsome fellow in the Adidas track suit?
One of our best agents...................... Very nice chap, indeed ;-)))

You say...:
”As to the Veteran learning about what his leaders did to people in Goose Green - Yes - They go into the social hall (where 128 men women and children were locked in for 4 weeks) there for a toilet stop and a drink - they all see themarks in the floor where holes were cut to crawl under for some safety during bombardments - the same floorboards elderly people had to lay on in just their clothes to sleep at night as best they could.

I say...:
If he was a Ganso Verde veteran he would know exactly why those 128 men, women and children were kept AT NIGHT in that social hall...

If he was a Ganso Verde veteran he would know that many of those Kelpers were informing the British troops about where and when to attack the Argentinean positions...

If he was a Ganso Verde” veteran he would know that them Kelpers were released everyfollowing morning to their houses ...

If you read the papers, you would know how the Brits summarily deal with anybody informing the Taliban about where and when to attack British positions...

If a chapel is to be built at Darwin Cemetery the first step is for an application to be lodged with the Falkland Islands Environmental Planning Office. I'll be the first to object. There is a Catholic church sitting in town already doing hardly anything. The cemetery is perfectly fit for purpose as it is.

I was about to post something about that...Thats what happens when you have a public company full of La Campora militants. I would love that Mercopress post this news as we can see El Diego, axel and Think explain as how Repsol, Clarin, Lanata, the IMF, the British, the Marcians or some random guy with a celular phone is to blame for it.... When Repsol was in charge these things didn't happen.

(62) Joe Bloggs
You say...:
Mind you, if I had a fling with someone's wife I would prepare myself for quite a confrontation and perhaps some form of violence if caught.
I say...:
In other words...: - You would have it coming -
As Royal Marine Alan Addis had it coming by having a fling with an undestimulated Kelperette....

Think- you do so love your lies! 128 civilians aged from a baby of a few months to a lady in her mid 80s were locked in the hall there for 4 weeks until being freed by the British.
They were locked in the Hall with NO food for 2.5 days to start with,armed guards outside all the time. Finally then they managed to persuade the guards
to allow a couple of them out to go to the local store across the grass about 50mtrs away and get some tinned meats and biscuits and take back for the others. This was then their diet for about the next 2 weeks.
Only after that did they allow a couple or so out-under guard- to then get food from the store- take it to one of their homes- cook it and take it hot back to the hall.
Only after these 2 weeks or so were they allowed to go and get a few blankets and some old sheepskins to sleep on.
THESE ARE ESTABLISHED FACTS - 128 people did not lie.

NONE of then at any time were in contact with any British Forces. One was falsely accused of trying to and roughed up- another breach of the Geneva Convention.Not until after the night of the British attack when the Argentines came and got the farm manager to go and use his radio to call and get surrender negotiations under way.

The visiting veteran was unaware of all what happened as he was based half mile or more away- there after all over 1600 troops there of different units so not all would know the detail of what was happening.

However we are off topic! Care to comment on the graffiti etc on some memorial and tribute monuments in Argentina?

Oh- and did you know why some the larger vehicle hire firms here nowadays refuse to hire cars to visiting Argentines? Answer is because they had become fed up with cleaning all the graffiti scrawled inside them by some. Some smaller operators still do and of course individuals.
Promising news of additional cruise visiting in future isn,t it? This was a good season as well, very few misses by the larger ones due to weather and non due to politics!

(85) Islander1
No, Mr. Islander1, we are NOT off topic...
We all know that truth is the first causality of war...
And the truth here may very well be in-between our two stories…
Fact is that not one civilian was harmed at Ganso Verde…... NOT ONE...

Have you read the links you randomly posted ¿? You were just desperate to prove that under Repsol YPF these things were normal.... Well nope, nothing like having a fire that affected 4% of the companies production. 5 days of fire. You cant get closer to 500 mt to the burning tanks as we speak due to the smoke and the heat. And a estimated loss of over 8 million USD in fuel alone.

All those links you posted are about explosions that where somewhat usual acceptable and controlable. Usually due to tubes leaks. You even posted a guy falling of a tower in 2002!!! All those incidents were controlled by Repsol YPF personel... Look at the picture of one of those destiliries compare that to the one coming out now
You are stupid and pathetic
You guys cant even administrate a street kiosk.

You should go begging on your knees and ask Brufau for forgiveness and to take back YPF you stole them in 2012. Let them run the company freely and privatize this useless Camporanga and ñoqui dwelling that YPF has become.

Think makes my skin crawl. He is a worthless piece of crap. Using twisted logic and half truths when he can and outright lies when he can't. He is a disgusting human being that doesn't deserve respect. I am glad he is bitter and lonely as he deserves every ounce of it.

CD, You should get out of there as soon as you can. There's lots of jobs in the USA for people who want to work.

@68
I don't see why a chapel is necessary. Stanley already has a Roman Catholic Church.

Common sense prevails here Troy.

You don't need a chapel at Goose green as the veterans can pray at the gravesides. And if they want to have a service in Stanley, I am sure the Catholic church would be able top arrange a memorial service.

Colonel Keeble who took over from HCol H Jones at the battle of Goose Green was a catholic-so the religion is not restricted to Argentinians.

In all this the Pope has to remember that there are catholics in the Falkland island population so any attempt to turn this into a nationalist issue will see him booted out of the Vatican.

He is a Catholic first, and Argentine second.

It would be exactly the same if an Englishman was the pope-the religion would transend national boundaries.

@87 Banana Brain, you seem to think that you can expunge your countrys war crimes by highlighting what you claim are our war crimes. All armies commit atrocities, the difference is that our misdemeanors are few and far between, usually the result of mistakes, and, we highlight them publicly and punish the guilty which you, to your eternal shame do not. In fact you celebrate your illegal defeated invasion.
Argentina however is never guilty, it wasnt us guv! But we have seen at first hand what you did on our Falkland Islands because WE were there. We saw you defeated on S Georgia and we saw your army run. The mothers of the disappeared are a testament to what you are capable of. Are they still out there in the Plaza de Mayo right in front of TMBOAs palace?
You are slippery slimy liars and no request for a chapel will ever be granted.

Just a couple of oiltanks burning in the middle of Mendozas desert...

Yeah but those random oil tanks in the middle of the Mza desert are 4% of YPFs national production, worth 8 million USD. Provincial and national assistance was requested by YPF, huge damage to the enviroment. The fire and smoke will be last for 5 days till the fuel is depleeted

Think- we can agree nobody at GooseGreen was harmed physically as such other than a few bruises on the lad who got roughed up and uncomfortable nights for ds and elderly folk sleeping on bare boards.
But a lot of those people today still bear the mental scars of their forced detention - which was a direct breach of the Genvea Convention of treatment of a civilian population in time of war- a treaty Argentina I believe signed many years ago.
Now that same Treaty refers to what beligerents should and should not do whilst hiding behind civilians - and that covers pretty well everything that the AlK. lot get up to in Afghanistan/Pakistan. Thus the Nato forces there have little option- to keep their own casualties down and the many innocent Afghans that the AlK. lot happily kill - by taking calculated strikes at known top enemy figures which they accept are likely to result in some civilian casualties because the AlK lot are just a bunch of cowards at heart who hide behind the innocecnt. civilians.
At least in 1982 both sides fought in uniforms.

97. Its not the fire that is the big deal its the pattern that is emerging that is the problem.
My guess is that you've lost most of your well trained o/g personnel, they're probably living in Canada working the oil sands with the Venezuelans that escaped.
YPF probably can't import what it needs to maintain the equipment either. Spit and twine only last for so long.
YPF will be destroyed just like PDVSA
Also the supply is so tight something that would go unnoticed in another country is catastrophic in Argentina.
You can not afford to import more fuel...period.

Look out!! Your card is now marked. Soon, you won't be able to walk the street in daylight and you will be shunned by polite society.

Actually, all the above is b*llsh*t. What it's really like is someone trying to beat you to death with a feather pillow, it doesn't actually hurt, but it does tend to get annoying after a while..........

But that is obvious you stupid retard that is why they are in tanks. Did I ever say YPF lost 4% of its production capacity?? No but those tanks do hold them..

What do you want to prove ?? That this is normal ?? No its not. It doesnt matter how relatively small the smoke collum seems from 10 km away. Those are 8 million USD burning away when we are scrapping the barrel to find dollars.

You busted YPF and prevented Repsol to further invest in exploration
You robbed YPF
You are responsable that we (the poor next gov't) have to pay up to 10 bn USD over the next 10 years in compensation.
You invented the LIE of Vaca Muerta
You filled the company with public parasites
You are responsable for the enery crisis that is looming over the national trade balance and the domestic economy
You are taxing the shit out of the farms and sophocating the entire sector to pay for your own inefficiency to pay up for imports
You are the ones who have stollen massive amounts of money for ENARSA
Under your administration exploration and investments in the energy sector came to a halt
And now the destileries in La Plata like last year and the tanks in Mza are going up in flames

1 US bbl= 100 USD that makes it round about 8.8 million USD that went up in flames. Go ahead. You pay for it.

No that is not my info that is your twisted logic and partial truths as always.
The tanks held up to 4% of the production of YPF. It means to say that the local field's production where held in those tanks. Both 4% of daily production means to say also YPFs yearly production passes by those tanks.

103. You've never been right about anything.
You are too stupid to understand that there is a serious pattern of neglect or negligence developing and there's no spare capacity.
YPF is on the same road as PDVSA without the massive infrastructure or reserves that were built up over decades.

Good metaphor for the country though, arrogance, neglect, U$ going up in smoke and idiots like you think its okay.

I am sorry this has happened to your country, but I'm glad to see an Argentinian identifying the REAL perpetrators of the incompetence, exploitation, and betrayal of your people.
For too long, CFK, the Kirchnerists, and people like Think have been pointing the finger at Oligarchs, Sepoys, the Middle Class, the IMF , the EU, UK, US, Repsol, Big Oil, and others as the reason for their problems.

Now, of course, CFK IS talking to the Argentine Pope, for Divine Intervention in Paris perhaps???

I wonder how much were YPF's shares worth back in 2008 before Kirchner pressured Brufau to let into the board of YPF Ezkenazi and Eurnekian and pay up the purchase of shares with the same dividends that YPF had accumulated to the day.... What was it 136% dividens where handed out by the directory since then ??

Before nationalization YPF petrol was about 4 pesos something I recall, now Kicillof has let loose all the restrictions and price control the State had implemented on Repsol YPF so its gone over $10.

burning oil tanks in the desert? a potential chapel on The Falkland Islands?

hmmm... I think the trolls have won this one by going massively off topic.
The Sewer of Distraction is mighty to behold. Do not be fooled by the Trolls!
I still think this a pathetic attempt by Crass-tina to exploit the Argentine roots of the Pope to somehow gain influence on the world stage.
Because she has none!

What more facts do you need to recognize that YPF has being completaly f**cked up by you guys... Of course I remember, recall that lt of petrol was 4 something in early 2012, when I went to load up dummy boy. How much is it now ???. Why dont you provide actual facts and numbers disproving EVERYTHING I SAID SO FAR, instead of going about that the shares are pretty much the worth of the beginning of 2012

FFS Repsol YPF was the 15 largest oil company in the world back in 2006. I know this would consider as well Spanish assets of Repsol but above the same companies that Gallucio is begging for investment in Vaca Muerta like Patronas of Malasyia, even bigger than Petrobras.

The real intervention of the company started in 2008. From late 2007 to the end of 2011
Production of Petrolium collapses 17%
Production of gas collapses 37%
Oil reserves down 6%
Gas reserves down 35,5%

What happaned in 2012 was just a hit of grace, but at least now technically the company has more freedom to set the local prices and release debt.

82 Troy Tempest
Not bad Mr. Marionette. Only BC people are capable of busting crackhead Mayor Rob Ford...for crossing the street at the wrong time, so not surprise at all that you made the other connection :-)))

Remember a lot of that price increase in ypf is due to it being one of the very few companies that RGs can invest in that's denominated in U$.
There's a lot of fluff in that share price since its used to move U$ abroad.
My guess is it will be decertified and removed from NYSE when the audits are found to be corrupted.

I wouldnt suprise me if it got removed of the NYSE. My point to the retarded Think is that shares 10 years ago were far more valuable than they are today even with the last surge in share prices.

Just look at the timings its amazing how they speak for themselves. Record in September 2005. 10 years ago the exact share price was 25.11% higher
Nearly 2 years before the Petersen group lands in by the pressure kirchner helds on Repsol.

Lowest point is just shortly after confiscation in November 2012 and overall production continued to decrease in 2012.

A good review of the situation and where Argentina is headed after the nationalization of Ypf was done a year ago.

I wouldn't be surprised if they're falsifying production and reserves.
It'll all come out soon enough.
If you don't see a massive commitment to explore VM in the next few months you won't see it for a generation.

More distraction from Banana brains! Could do a botox bonfire with KFCs botox, that would be quite a blaze. If Pope Francis gets involved it will be a great opportunity to highlight the minefields issue. Suggest it 'might' be possible if the Argies clear the mknefields (then again it might not!)

Just pointing out why your posts make absolutely no sense and if you had a brain cell you'd be able to figure it out for yourself.
Did you see that chip memorized 3000 words and was able to put them into understandable sentences.
So he's got one up on you!

My standing is just fine my little monkey.
Are you back in school tomorrow?
I hope so
Please ask for a logic class and give up the languages.
Do they not teach logic in Argentina? Except for a very very few Rgs on here you all are horrible debaters. You get mixed up so easily and circle back and around again thinking you won the argument when the rest of us wonder how cross a road without getting run over.

What can you do with all those words when translation is free and on everyone's phone.

Fact. I pick up about 6-10 new words a day (conservatively), that's about 55 a week, from actual purposeful study. But another 50-60 a day from just hearing, reading, and talking, most of those cognates that are easy to remember.

E.g = loyaler Mensch in German, English cognate loyal ,which I just learned from reading just now (synonym of treu but false friend of fidel which in German means ”jolly); or empecer, a Portuguese verb derived from empecilho, which I soon realized was a cognate to French empêcher, or in French itself alleger, to alleviate... and while looking that word up I learned  alléguer, cognate of to alledge)

And right there I learned 10 words in a snap.

So that's about 500 new words a week in all my languages. So maybe not 1,000 every 5 days. But impressive nonetheless in cerebral computational standards.

Goodnight everybody; I'm going to bed. I don't think I learnt any new words today but I did learn that Toby is even more insecure than I thought, that indoor runners fail badly in marathons run in extremely wet and windy conditions and that 02 April didn't work out once again.

I learned that Europe, the Falklands, and North America can once again forget about a friendly, cooperative, international community engaging Argentina. No matter how much they cry for it.

@147

It's really not that hard. Children and teenagers learn 3.000 words per year. The reason adults don't is two-fold: a) they stop going to school (no matter what level), and thus don't read texts or actively learn new vocabulary; b) people reach their societal vocabulary ceiling, that is, an actual identifiable point in which people no longer need to learn new, more unusual or difficult words since they are not required to function in their environment.

Since I am learning multiple languages it is natural I will learn in these languages at the rate of a child, or even faster since adults, while never attaining perfect accent, can learn faster than children any language. And in my more advanced languages I purposefully continue to learn new words, even if they are not required for daily function (i.e = procrustean, marplot, jactitate, subfuscous, gloaming, vituperate, eluctation, palisade, maculature, coryphaeus, etc, etc, etc).

Umm.. This thread is about the Falkland Islands and the Pope.
Not about your ego and insecurity Tobi.
best get a therapist because this is obviously not helpful for you.
Equally watching you self destruct, whilst occasionally amusing, adds nothing to the discussion.

Perhaps you experienced some Papal interference when younger. It would certainly explain your disturbed state of mind.

If anyone wants to get back on topic I might return. Otherwise I suggest we leave it unless Tobi might become too overwrought. .....

15 1 tobi nostril
ummm... onced if you meant once? It doesn't have a past tense because it is not a verb.
perhaps you should forget about languages, you are not very good at them.

A British or an American Pope? Hmm.. now that made me smile..
The UK is Protestant and Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Church of England.
USA is a secular state..... and any Constitutional references to God are within the Protestant tradition.
An English Pope? That's pretty unlikely. ..

So tobi you are quite safe in your mad old superstitious Catholic world. Although your very existence proves why the Pope is wrong about abortion.

Fact is that not one civilian was harmed at Ganso Verde…... NOT ONE...

This rather atypical outbreak of humanitarian behaviour on the part of the Argentine military may have had something to do with having the eyes of the world upon them. It seems the electrode enthusiasts and nun flyers had to make do with torturing their own conscripts.

Well it's been quite a while since I was last able to browse the pages of this exulted site, and how much I have missed it. This is an excellent thread to read to get back up to speed and has been very informative and indeed entertaining. In fact I must award the comedic 'Man of the Match' to Think, he has made me laugh so much in this thread, thank you !! Excellent contributions as usual from the regulars, keep up the good work.

....and you are most welcome!! This is getting more and more to be like a class reunion everyday.

Simon68 is back now and we still have Yankeeboy, ably supported by Joe Bloggs, CabezaDura2, Anglotino, Vulcanbomber, ilsen and Troy Tempest. Elaine B is always here as well as Isolde and of course, we always have a guest appearance by golfcronie, Gordo1, La Patria, HansNiesund, CaptainSilver, Islander1, Clyde15 and Benson.

And of course, special mention must go out to ChrisR, for the nick name of the decade TMBOA. Oh yes!!! That is just never going to get old!

But for the Star of the class I give you Tobi aka Truth telling troll aka whatever the hell he is trying to be this week, who is still learning his A, B, C's. Then there is the class Psycho ( what makes you think I won't cut you? ) Yup you know him and he is a bit scary :- Conqueror.

Of course the class clown has to be Think and all of his sock puppets like DoverandDover and A_Voice.

So it's OK for the hospital and Doctors to abort the foetus, by patient choice, because the foetus is not a living human being, but just a piece of tissue. Then you incinerate this tissue and then suddenly this bit of tissue becomes sacred.

The fact is that medical waste is incinerated for hygiene and safety reasons.

You can't have it both ways.

Maybe we should put the unwanted remains in a jar and give it to the patient/donor to dispose of in the they the see fit. (and remind them of their choice of action).

Back to the story for a moment...
I can't see what the problem is here. This falls under the Permitted Development Rights in Camp. They don't even need planning permission. They would need permission to own property as overseas owners, but unless the Pope has a seat on Exco he isn't going to be able to help them much.
They just need to get a plan together and submit it to Exco. Simple.

175. Unless you are under 5 y/o learning vocabulary words for no other reason than their spanish equivalents if FUTILE.
Now you have 2 grown-ups telling you that you are wasting your life.
Why don't you do something useful and memorize the daily temperatures in Mendoza city from 1972-84.
Its just as practical.

Of course we are a race. But even if we were not, so that justifies your vitriol and your caustic tirades? Argentines dumbest people on the planet, Argentines dirty smelly whores, Argentines can't count... or are you going to deny you have never written the statements above?

That sounds rather racist to me. If you directed those statements to Jews or Blacks lets see what others would label you as.

the concept of racism is basically a negative orientation towards ‘the other’.
it is not exclusively related with race.
it could also be based on cultural differences, religion, genealogy, etc.
go back to school yankeeboy.

192
no, but a jew, for instance, could be white and be subject of racism by other non jew whites.
same race, different religion.
and yet it is called racism.
racism in this case is based on religion, not on race.

BRIEF FOR JUBILEE USA NETWORK AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF ARGENTINA
”Because using law to dispossess the poor for the pleasure of the powerful offends not only the sense of justice embodied in United States policy, but the even more ancient principles of biblical justice revealed in the scriptures of our faiths, we respectfully submit this Amicus Curiae brief requesting that the Court accept certiorari…… jubileeusa.org/fileadmin/13-990__-991_Amici_Brief_filed_3-24-14.pdf

196
You are still living in a C19th world. Looking to the past not the future.

This is a global century. My neighbours in London are Highly-educated. A Japanese lady and a Nigerian man, their 21 year-old daughter is about to marry a French-Arab (Moroccan). Wonder what that child will be?
My other neighbours are both 'white' middleclass English/Scottish and proud of their Anglo/Saxon/Gaulic/Celtic roots.
I believe that within another century of so, we will all be of a light brown skin colour, which, all though I won't be alive, I welcome, as it will stop all this racist bollocks.
At my house in Venezuela, well do I really need to explain the mixed heritage that is VNZLA to you? Indigenous, African, Spanish, White European, European Latino, Russian, Jewish.
One of my main business partners is 2nd generation Lebanese Venezuelano married to a 2nd generation Chinese Venezuelana.
(great contacts!!!!!)
I have mixed heritage, so does my partner. We have both been accused of racism at different times in different countries by people (darker/lighter skinned), looking to score 'easy' political points.
Vestige of ancient times you are indeed!
Move on people, move on...

199
all that he said is that there are 5 basic races according to traditional anthropology.
which is true.
of course you also have all the mixes you want, and that is great.
what it is wrong is that classification you did in your post:
Indigenous, African, Spanish, White European, European Latino, Russian, Jewish.
Those are not only races, you are mixing nationalities (spanish), religion (jews), races (white european and european latino, both are white european), etc.

and there is nothing racist in his post as you suggest.
it would be as considering anthropology as a racist science

199
??????
Are you for real.....?
I stated an anthropological fact..it is not dated at all....
There are five races...all the rest are a mix...your neighbours child would be a Caucasoid/Negroid mix....Simple...
Then you also start confusing ethnicity with race....
It is a simple concept yet difficult for you to grasp....
So Ok I'm a racist now........Doh!...I like racing!!!
Hispanic or Latino is not a race....it's more a cultural term (ethnicity) the racial mix may be....Caucasoid..Caucasoid/Mongoloid (Indian) or whatever......
Anglo is not a race either....Caucasoid....

Argentina's decline is not the only change to the Latin American ranking: with shortages, a weakened currency and serious political problems, oil-rich Venezuela is handing over fifth position to stable, growing and highly privatized Chile. The top rankings then are Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela.

But even this new list does not appear permanent. Brazil and Mexico are set in largest and second largest economies, but London-based financial firm Capital Economics predicts a revision of the rest in the upcoming months.

“With both Argentina and Venezuela on the cusp of a balance of payments crisis, we expect them to slide further down the pecking order,” forecasts emerging markets economist David Rees. “That could eventually see Chile overtake Argentina to become the region’s fourth-largest economy and Venezuela slip behind Peru.”